Cooking apparatus



1. BAKER. COOKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-15.19%.

Patented fiept. 2, 1919.

f1SHEETSSHEET l- J. S. BAKER.

cooxm APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-15,1916- A Patentedfiept. 2,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- BAKER COOKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 15, 1916.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

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4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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JOHN S. BAKER, 0F ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 ANDERSON-BNGBOVER MFG. 00., OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

cookrn'e arr 1-; i 'rns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented se t. a, min.

' Application filed September 15. 1916. Serial Ito. 120,300.

To all whom it may concern: 1 i

Be it known that 1, JO N S. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the count of Los Angeles and State of California, ave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cooking Apparatus; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the ac-' companying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is .a novel improvement in v vide novel means for varying the thickness of the canways, especially at the bends thereof, also on bottom by raisin and lowering plate upon which cans ro ll, so that they can be adjusted to suit diflerent sizes of cans and properly direct same around the bends, also along bottom; to provide a novel construction of thecanway; to provide novel means for discharging or directing cans out of the machine; and to provide novel means for discharging cans from either end-of the machine at one or more points, thus increasing the flexibility of the machine for cooking all sizes of cans for difl'erent lengths of time without altering the speed or travel of the cans, and to prevent jamming of cans that may be passed throu h machine endwi se thereby fortiitying against shut downs, etc, in factory.

' I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanyin drawin which illustrate a cooker embo ying my improvements,

anda description thereof will enable others skilled in the art to fully comprehend the invention and adopt and use same n other forms or types of cookers withln the scope of the claims defining the invention and follow ing the dB SCIlPt10I 1'0f the machine illustrated in said drawmgs:

In such drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view partly broken away and partly in section of a cooker emv .bodying the invention.

#1,181,057 or April 25, 1916, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation through the right hand end of the machine onthe line 2-2 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 1s a similar view on the line 3-3,

l. ig. 4 is a detail sectional View showing the end guards in Fig. 3 partly in section.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Fig. 4:.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of one of the discharge runways showing one of the can throw-ofl' devices.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the throw-0H lever in initial posltion.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of another form of Y Fig. 9 is a sectional view through one of the can inlets on the line-9-9, Fig. 10.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line 10-l0 Fi 9.

Fig. ll 1s a detail of the filler'plates. The tank or cooking chamber 1 may be of any suitable construction, and is shown as provided with removable covers 1, which may be provided with water-sealsindicated at 1 Within this tank is a perforated bottom plate 2 which may be raised or lowered to accommodate diflerent size cans and prevent same from turning endwise in canway where water is used, etc.

Within the tank above the plate'2 is a preferably elongated spiral canway formed of metal 'l'-bars 2 attached to transverse supporting bars 2 mounted on legs 2 by which the c'anway is properly supported within the tank. The l -bars 2 are preterably arranged with the leg or shank of the 'l' outermost and the flange or head ofthe "l innermost, and the bars are so arranged that the space between adj acent bars is wide enough to support a can upon the base flanges of the adjacent bars,-while the shanks ot the adjacent bars form-guides to keep the -ends, f the spiral canways the cans are guide by the legs or shanks of the bars, but they/have to y be supported by auxiliary mea s; which as shown in the drawings pretera ly consist of curved plates 3 arranged at each end of the canway. Each plate 3 is preferably hinged at its bottom, in line with the end of the perforated plate 2 in a suitable manner, preferabl upon a transverse rod or shaft 3 suitab y supported in the tank; and the upper end of each plate 3 is adjustable toward or from the bars 2 so that the space between the inner face of this curved plate and thebase of the said bars "can be varied by swinging the upper end of the plate inward or outward.

As shown each plate 3 may be adjusted preferably by means of two bars 3 pivoted at their inner ends to the ends of plates 3 and extending through slots 1 in the adjacent end outer notches 3 e a ,desired position. When the ofthe tank; and the bars 3 may be notched as at 3, 3, and such notc es can be engaged with the slots so as to'hold the plate in the justed. so the innermost notc es 3 en age the slots, the plates will be adjuste to guide larger sized cans around the canwa and when the bars are adjusted so that t e v the edges of the slots,-- the plate 3 wi be adjusted so asto guide cans of smaller diameter around the canw'ay. While I have shown but two,

notches in the bars additional notches may be provided to enable the lates to be adjusted to meet other sizes 0 cans. v

- It will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 4 I have arranged two plates 3 at each end of the canway, and this would enable me to run simultaneously through the machine two sets of cans or more according to division of plate, of'diflerent size. It is necessary in order to enable cans to properly pass around the bends of the canway without binding that they should be properly guided thereinand this is accom lished by adjusting the plates 3 to suit the lameters of the cans bean;

used; as the plates '3 are independently j'ustable, either plate can be adjusted to suit er or smaller cans; and thus for example 1 r in t e machine shown" large cans can be run through either the right or left hand side of the machine, while smaller cans can be i simultaneously run through at the other side 1 of the machine. But if only one size can is to be cooked the plates can be adjusted to suit either large or small cans. Of course in large' machines more plates 3 may be employed at each end of the machine, to enable run simultaneously more than two different sizes of cans to be through the machine if desired.

It will be observed that these 'plates'3 form the outer walls of the canways at the bens thereof; and for the pur se of discharging the cans from the machine an 0 ening or openings 3! may be made in the p ates opposite'the runs of canwa'y; preferably the 'loweredge of each opening 3 is below the center line of the axis or curve of the axis or curve of the end of the canway. Thecans lates are adwould ordinarily pass out throughthis opening when they reach it, but this may be prevented by means of suitable devices; I preferably employ sliding gates to permit the escape of cans from the canway and as shown a slidable gate 4 is attached to each plate adjacent each opening 3 therein such plates being guided in suitable retainers 3 on the plates, and may be operated by means of levers 4 pivoted on studs 4 attached to the end of the casing and entering the latter through slots therein and connected by links 4 to the doors 4, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Said levers 4 preferably extend out of-the tank and may be readily manipulated by the operator so as to open or close any opening in any plate. By this means cans can be discharged from any one of the canways through is related opening 3 by opening the slide 4 controlling that run of the canway or may be retaihed in such run of the can-. way and caused to pass'suchopening if the slide is closed. In the normal position as showh in Figs 2 and 3 these slides 4 close the openings and prevent the can from escapin from the runway.

en any slide is open the cans when they reach the opening uncovered by the slide will pass out of such opening onto a chute 5 by which they are directed to an opening 1 in the adjacent end of the tank and which opening may be closed by a series of plates 6 and after passing through such opening the cans may be directed into either runway 7 or 8. By providing openings at each end of the machine the cans can be discharged too from either end thereof and preferably when running two different sizes of cans simultaneously it is desirable to discharge difi'erent cans at opposite ends of the machine, if

be passed around the curves at the ends of a the canway; if smaller cans are to be treated the curved plates 3 wouldbe adjusted inwardly so that they would lie nearer to the runs of the canway to accommodate small size cans and prevent the latter jum ing or passing too far out of or from un er control of the pusher bars. The cans may be propelled around the canway by means of an endless propelling device or pusher comprising'endless side chains 10 running over suitable sprockets 10 mounted on shafts 10" remove at each end of the machine; said. chains being connected by transversely disposed bars 10 which extend across the series of canways and are adapted to propel cans along the canway., One of the shafts 10 may be driven by suitable mechanism as in my said patent so as to propel the pusher in anendless path.

The can may be fed into the runs of the canway as described in my said patents, through a feed indicated at 11 which may be of any suitable construction. As shown these feeders are located at the right hand end of the machine, see Figs. 1 and 9,. and the feed chute 11 is attached to the end of the plate and extends inwardly over the first run of the canway and is adapted to deliver cans thereinto as indicated in Fig. 9 so that cans will be taken by the pusher bars and propelled along the canway and around the spirals thereof, the cans successively assin the openingsin the plate 3 at the le t han end of the machine when such openings are closed by the slides t and also passing the openings in the plate 3 at the right hand end of the machine when such openings are ings onto the runways 7 or 8.

closed by the slides; but when these slides are open the cans will pass out of such open- A plurality of feeds may be employed if desired and as shown in Fig. l T have indicated a second feed at l1 which may be constructed like feed 11 and is shown as arranged to deliver cans ontothe runway at one of the intermediate runs thereof. Of course more feeds may be applied to the machine if desired, and feeds can be arranged at both ends of the machine if desired; one feed being indicated in dotted lines ll at the left hand end of the machine,

in Fig. l, the feed ll being like feeds ll and 11 The feed chutes or. castings ll are wide enough to accommodate large size 1 cans; if it. is intended to feed small came,

in order that the latter may be properly directed into the canway, removable fillerplates 11 may be placed within and against the sides of the chutes as indicated in Figs. 9 and 10 and may be retained therein'in any proper manner. These filler plates will narrow the chutes so as to properly direct small size cans onto the runway. At the. front end of the machine the drive shaft which drives the endless chain 10 over sprockets 10 is fixed but at rear end this shaft may be moved forward .or back by take-up boxes to accommodate stretch in chain. This changes the radial axis to the curves at rear end. I

At the ascending end of the runway F g. 3 it is only necessary to adp st plate 3 1nwardly to accommodate small size cans, but at the other endof the canway when the cans descend it is desirable not only to adjust plate 3, but also to provide means for rnachine.

narrowing the path of the can, and for this purpose the base of the T-bars may be cut away to accommodate a curvedplate 12, see Figs. 2 and 5, which plate is hinged at top on a rod 12 or in other suitable manner and is connected at bottom to the rods 12 which are in turn connected to a crank 12 on a'shaft 12 which extends out of the,

machine and is operable by means of a lever 12 and hand rod 12 by which the guard plate l2can-be adjusted either in or out to nalrlrow or widen the path of the cans at w1 Assuming that large cans are being fed to 11 and small cans at ll Fig. 1 the larger cans can be taken out by raising any slide t at either end of the tank between the feed opening where the cans are fed at 11 to a point where they-are fed at 11, and smaller cans may be taken out by opening any slide 4: at either end of the tank between the point where the cans are fed at 11 and the final discharge or end of the canway. In this tent of movement to be given to the cans and greatest variety of products to be run simultaneously.

llllll If desired cans can be fed at ill and can be i made to travel through the entire length of the canway, or through any portion or section of the canway desired, and difierent sizes of cans cooked for diderent periods of time can be discharged into separate runways at either end of the machine. One series of cans for example may be discharged on the runway 7 or another series of can may be discharged onto the runway 8 by using a removable or shiftable bridge piece 8 as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The runways may be provided with chain belts which take cans endwise toward the side of the machine; at the end of each runway means may be provided for automatically discharging cans from said runway, as shown in Fig. 6 a bell crank discharging lever 13 is employed, this lever being pivoted at its bend on a belt 13' and one arm of this lever extends normally across the runway and the other extends longitudinally of the runway, and the latter arm is preferably-bowed as at 13*. As theacans are brought forward on the runway which is moved by the conveyer as' indicated by thearrow the cans strike arm and owing lllll lllh latter on its pivot and the arm 13 engages the side of the can and rolls the latter off the carrier as indicated in'Fig; 6, the can being indicated'in dotted lines at C in both stri will disengage the cans from the joints in the conveyer in which its rim may have tened to I 'orsimilar device at'13 to figures; the can being knocked off or kicked off sidewise so that it will readily roll down thechute 8 to any suitable receiver.

It may happen that the rim of sanitary cans will catch in the cracks D betweenthe joints in the connecting links of the conveyer 14 sothat they cannot easily be kicked off by the lever 13 into trough guide 8 without binding or turning endwise so I'provide' a strip 15 at oneside of the conveyer which stri extends over the edge of the conveyer, as shown in Figs. 6-8,, and is fastened securely to the trough at points 15. This become lod ed. The kick-off lever 13 is fase runwaytrough by a thumb screw preferably and is pivoted so that when a can strikes it whenin the position shownin Fig.6 the arm 13 will be thrown backward into position indicated in Fig. 7, and as the'can-continues to move forward, being carried by the conveyer 14 it will engage the arm 13 and force it back and automatically move arm 13 back to position shown in Fig.6, and in so doing it will engage can Gland throw it forward over center and the can will roll by gravity down the guide trough or chute 8 To prevent arm- 13 being'thrown forward so that its point might engage the end of the can and interfere with its progress I provide arm 13 with a slide 13 which has a hooked end that prevents too far inward movement of arm 13 by engaging a stop 13 when-the kick-off lever is 'in the position shown'in Fig. 6. It

will be seen that thisthrow ofi device may be regulated to a niTcety by, use of a set screw adjust for different size large cans. The tro h 7 Figs. 1 and 8, is shown as provided with an adjustable kick-ofi' guide 16 adapted to operate on different sizes of small cans. One end of-this kick-ofl' 16 is pivoted at 16' to the side'of the trough and the other end of this kick-ofi' is' adjustably" connected in any suitable 'mannerto plate 16 at the outer end of the trough. As shown this plate is provided with perforations adapted to be engaged by a thumb bolt or screw 16! attached to or engaging the 'end of the kickofl' 16. As the cans come forward on the I I conveyer 14- the are deflected laterally on the conveyer 14. y contact with the inclined kick-off 16'untilby the time they reach plate :16 theyaie overbalanced and roll off the lever 18 ivoted on a sup across the machine, the ot er end of the be off the pusher bar u outer end of the kick-off 16 it can be a apted to throw off larger or smaller cans from the conveyer 14 as they are brought forward I thereon. A vertical plate 16 is provided to guide cans past the break between the end of the plate 16 and the chute 7. In order to insure the cans passing outof the machine through an openlng at the ascending end of the tank Fig. 2 where the cans ascend, trips 17 may be provided, see Figs. 2 and 5; these trips being suitably pivoted on rods 17 attached to lugs on the back of the ard late 12. 'These trips may 'beconnected y ro s 17 to bell crank levers 17 pivoted on a suitable supporting bar 17 extending across the machine and each lever 17 being also connected to a rod 17 leading out of the machine beside the tank so that anyone of the trips 17 can be adjusted to operative position at will. When any slide 4 adjacent the guard is open for the discharge of a can the corresponding trip 17 should be adjusted so that as the cans ascend the runs and come opposite the opening left by the slide they contact with the projecting trip and are'tilted 011' the bar and drop by gravity out through the-opening in the chute 5 and then into the runway the bridge 8 is in ad usted osition. At the other end of the machine s own in Fig. 3 where the cans descend in passing around the bends of the canway the would not fall out by gravity as soon as t e came to the opening, but lest a small can might hang upon the pusher bars as they descend and possibly be carried past the opening it is esirable to provide tri devices for insuring that the cans shall rop forward off the bars and out of the opening. For this purpose I provide a series of trip levers 18. pivoted on a rod 18 extending across the machine, each trip lever being connected at one end by a link 18 to one end of the bell crank rt 18 extendin crank being connected to a rod 18 which extends out through the side of the tank. Whenever any slide 4 at the left hand end of the machine is open for discharge of a can the roll trip 18 could be manipulated so as to be projected into the path of the can so that as the-cans descend they will come in contact with the lever 18 and be tilted forward and n which they are then lying and drop out y gravit through the into the trough 7* or 8 as indicated in the drawing.

WhatI claim is:

1. In a cooking machine the combination of a chamber, a canway therein, means for moving cans along the canway, means for discharging cans from the canway at a 7 or 8 accordin to whether or not 'opemng onto the discharge p ate and then plurality of points, means for feeding cans to the canway, and means for varying the width of the canway at different but adjacent bends thereof to enable a pluralityof series of cans of difl'erent size to be simultaneously traversed through the machine.

2. In a cooking machine the combination of a chamber, a spiral canway therein, means for feeding cans to the canway, means for adjusting thecanway at the bends thereof to suit different sizes of cans, and means for discharging .cans from the canway through said adjusting means.

3. In a cooking machine thecombination of a chamber, a spiral canway therein, means for feeding cans to the -canway at -a plurality of points, means for adjusting the canway at the bend thereof to suit difi'erent sizes of cans, said means having openings for the escape of cans from the canway and means for preventing the passage of cans through the openings.

4'. In a cooker the combination of a chamber having a discharge opening, a canway therein having bends and openings in the bends, adjustable slides at the bends of the canway adapted in one position to retain cans in the canway, means for independently adjusting the slides to permit cans to pass from the canway to the discharge opening in the chamber, and means for conduct ing cans passing from the canway to said opening. I

5. In a cooking machine the combination of a cooking chamber having outlet open-' ings, a canway therein having bends, a

curved plate forming the outer wall of a bend of the canway, openings in this plate, slides'on said plate adapted to retain cans in the canway in one position and permit cans to escape therefrom in another position past the openings, and means for dlrecting cans escaping from the canway to. the relate outlet opening in the chamber.

6. In a cooker the combination of a chamber having outlet openings, a canway therein having bends, openings in the bends,

adjustable slides at the bends of the canway adapted in one position to close said openlugs and retain cansin the canway, means for independently adjusting the slides to permit cans to pass from the canway, means for conducting cans passing'from the canway to the related outlet opening; and means adapted to project into the path of the cans opposite an open slide to cause cans to pass out of said canway,

7 In a cooker the combination of a chamber, aspiral canway therein, a plurality of curved plates arranged side by side opposite the bend of the canway and adapted to direct cans. around the canway, and means for independently adjusting these plates to suit cans of different size in difi'erent runs of the canway.

, in the chamber.

8. In a cooker the combination of a chamber, a spiral canway therein, a plurality of curved plates opposite the bends of the canway and adapted to direct cans around the canway, and means for independently adjusting these plates to suit cans of .di'fierent size, said plates being provided with openings for the passage of cans from the can- Way, and adjustable means for closing se-'' lected openings.

9. In a cooker the combination of a chamber, a spiral canway therein, a plurality of curved plates opposite the bends of the canforming the outer walls of a bend of thecanway and adapted to direct cans around the bend, and means for independently adjusting these plates to suit cans of difl'erent size in diflerent runs of the canway.

11. In a cooker the combination of a chamber, a spiral canway therein, a plurality of curved plates opposite a bend of the canway adapted to direct cans around the bend, and means for independently adjusting these plates to suit cans of difl'erent size, said plates being provided with openings for the passage of cans from the canway, and adj ustable means for closing selected openings.

12. In a cooker the combination of a chamber, aspiral canway therein, a plurality of curved plates opposite a bend of the canway and adapted to direct cans around the bend, and means for independently adjusting these plates to suit cans of different size, said plates being provided with openings for the passage of cans from the canway, means for closing selected openings; openings in the chamber adjacent the said plates, and means for directing canspassing through the openings in said plates to the openings projected through the slots in said plate to direct cans out of the canway.

14. In a cooker the combination of a can way having a bend, a curved adjustable plate at the inner side of said bend for varyingthe depth of the canway, ejector devices adapted to direct cans out of the canway,

means for adjusting the plate, and means for adjusting the e eetor devices independentlybf the plate.

15. In a cooker the combination of a canway having a bend, curved adjustable slotted platesat the inner side of said'bend for varying the depth of the canway, ejector devices adjacent said plates adapted to be projected through the slots in the plates to forming channels to guide the cans, and the bases of the adjacent 'T-bars at the upper side of the spiral forming su ports for the cans, a bottom 'plate below t e spiral su porting the cans on the lower runs .of t e canway, curved plates at the bends of the spiral for guiding the cans around the bends,

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and a series of longitu J disposed filler plates arranged between he adjacent T-bars at the u per side of the spiral to support misplace cans.

17 Ina cooker, a canway composed of an inner spiral formed of a series of T-bars having their bases innermost and their flanges or shanks outermost, the spaces be-' tween the shanks of the bars f0 chan nels to guide the cans, and the bases of ad- .jaeent T-bars at the upfier side of the spiral forming supports for t e cans, a perforated bottom plate below the s iral supporting the cans in the lower runs 0 the canway curve plates at the bends of the spiral cans around the bends, and a series of longitudinally disposed filler plates arranged between the adjacent T-bars at the upper side of the spiral to support misplaced cans, sub- 'stantially as described.

In testimony that I cla1m the foregoing as my own, I aflix my signature.

' JOHN s. BAKER.

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